Heights Childcare Facilities Fight to Keep Funding for Low-Income Families

It has happened in the past, and it may happen in the future. The State of Illinois has told childcare facilities it is out of money and they are on their own for the rest of the fiscal year.

Last week, the Illinois Department of Human Services sent letters to childcare facilities that included the following statements:

"We have requested additional funds from the General Assembly but to date we have not received any additional dollars. Without additional money, we can't continue to pay for child care services. ... Without more money, bills for most of April services and all of May and June services will be held until July 2012.  Payments will resume in July when the FY13 budget is available.  We are sorry for the hardship this creates for you."

The loss of three months of state funds is devastating for some facilities, particularly ones that serve a large number of low-income families. 

Lynn Easterling, owner of , is already preparing for the possibility of losing the money.

"It's going to be cutting it really close," Easterling said. "We're going to cut payroll for sure. Just to make it."

Gov. Pat Quinn announced Tuesday that he hopes to take $73.6 million originally set aside to pay Medicare premiums and allocate it to childcare for low-income families.

The plan, House Bill 6164, has not passed yet and childcare facilities aren't sitting around and waiting. In fact, some facilities will be shutting down their buildings May 16 to go to Springfield and speak out in favor of House Bill 6164. Easterling said Kidds Palace is one of those facilities.

"We know it's going to affect us, and it's going to hit us hard because we only have so much revenue," Easterling said. "At this point, we want to get our voice out there to let them know, because this going to really break us down."

Don Wilson, business manager at the said this issue rears its ugly head every couple of years and many facilities are tired of dealing with the same struggles. 

"Every business needs to understand their cash flow, but our cash-flow affects families," Wilson said. "It's not like the state's paying us to make widgets and if (the funds) get cut we no longer make widgets. We have families who have to work and need quality daycare. Without that, what do these parents do?"

Easterling echoes Wilson's words, saying she hopes to eventually see a policy in place that prevents these 40,000 childcare facilities from having to worry about losing funds so frequently.

"(Legislators) need to come up with an idea that's going to help in the long run, because if they keep going from one year to the other doing the same thing, their going to keep getting the same thing," Easterling said. "We really need some sound groundwork laid to get through this."

Wilson said he would not be surprised if a three-month loss of money causes some child-care facilities to close their doors permanently.

"If that is their sole means of providing the care for those families and paying employees and paying bills, then to have the state say funding will not be available for a certain amount of months and they have no surplus or cushion, they can't survive," Wilson said.

Child care facilities are encouraging parents and community members to call their state representatives and state senators asking them to support House Bill 6164. Many facilities are petitioning as well.

For Chicago Heights residents, State Rep. Anthony DeLuca's office phone numbers are listed here:

• District Office in Crete: 708-672-0200
• Springfield Office: 217-782-1719 

State Sen. Toi Hutchinson's office phone numbers are listed here:

• Chicago Heights Office: 708-756-0882
• Kankakee Office: 815-929-1133
• Springfield Office: 217-782-7419

For more information, visit the Website for Illinois Action for Children.

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